Will 'greatest' London Marathon Line-ups Break Records?

Will records beryllium broken? That is nan large mobility earlier this year's London Marathon.

Race head Hugh Brasher declared nan event's 45th version had "the top elite fields successful nan history of nan London Marathon" aft a stellar line-up was announced successful January.

Despite nan precocious withdrawal of women's world grounds holder Ruth Chepngetich and 2024 champion Peres Jepchirchir, nan women's title still features nan 2nd and 3rd fastest athletes of each time.

That includes Sifan Hassan, 1 of 4 reigning Olympic and Paralympic marathon champions contesting this year's event, who returns for nan first clip since her singular comeback triumph connected debut successful 2023.

Two of nan 5 fastest men successful history statement up successful nan men's race, led by grounds four-time champion Eliud Kipchoge, while half marathon world grounds holder Jacob Kiplimo will make his eagerly anticipated debut complete 26.2 miles.

Meanwhile, nan elite wheelchair events characteristic Swiss athletes Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner - nan world and people grounds holders.

So who will triumph - and will they unafraid a portion of history and a lucrative bonus?

A people grounds successful nan men's (2:01:25) aliases women's (2:16:16) elite fields is worthy an further $25,000 (£19,000), while anyone breaking a world grounds (2:00:35 men, 2:16:16 women) will person $125,000 (£94,000).

In an elite men's title featuring 10 men to person tally a marathon successful nether 2 hours and 5 minutes, could it beryllium a debutant who steals nan limelight?

Uganda's Kiplimo, 24, became nan first personification to tally a half marathon successful nether 57 minutes successful February, clocking 56:42 to shatter nan erstwhile people by 48 seconds successful Barcelona.

That capacity has convinced galore that he could go nan first personification to break nan two-hour obstruction successful a competitory marathon, aft Kipchoge proved that was imaginable successful controlled conditions successful 2019.

"I deliberation it is going to beryllium nan astir fascinating debut ever," said Brasher.

"Do I deliberation he could beryllium nan jock that runs nether 2 hours? Yes. But let's spot what happens connected Sunday."

Speaking to BBC Sport, Kiplimo said: "I person seen a batch of group saying I will beryllium nan 1 to tally nether 2 hours. On Sunday, it is astir really my assemblage will feel.

"I will do my best. I can't opportunity now, I person not yet felt nan feelings for a marathon. Maybe, [I will know] erstwhile I americium done pinch London connected Sunday."

Kiplimo will beryllium joined by distance-running awesome and two-time Olympic champion Kipchoge, whose charismatic individual champion stands astatine 2:01:09.

The Kenyan, who past raced successful London erstwhile he earned his 4th triumph successful 2019, told BBC Sport he tin "absolutely" triumph again - and believes a sub-two hr marathon "will not beryllium acold [away]".

"The only point is for group to judge to try, situation to effort and situation to entertain. I person shown them nan measurement to make history. I deliberation successful nan adjacent early we will look astatine personification who is moving nether 2 hours," Kipchoge said.

The 40-year-old added he still had "some races to run" earlier nan extremity of his career, adding: "I americium still quiet to animate personification somewhere. I americium really motivated to train each day, to showcase and show group to make this world a moving world."

Reigning champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao, 28, said he was "happy moving pinch nan strongest section ever" arsenic he prepares to take sides his title, pinch Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Sabastian Sawe - nan 5th fastest man of each clip - besides present.

The precocious Kelvin Kiptum's 2023 men's people grounds is 2:01:25, while nan Kenyan's world grounds stands astatine 2:00:35.

Despite nan absences of Chepngetich and Jepchirchir, nan show of erstwhile world grounds holder Tigst Assefa and Hassan connected nan commencement statement intends hopes of a caller women's grounds are acold from over.

The elite women title separately successful London, meaning nan clip to hit is Jepchirchir's 2024 London winning clip of 2:16:16, which besides stands arsenic nan women's-only world record. Both Assefa and Hassan person tally faster than that.

Ethiopia's Assefa smashed nan mixed world grounds successful 2023 by moving 2:11:53 successful Berlin and has suggested akin could beryllium imaginable this year.

"I did a half marathon successful December and that was a test," she said.

"My mentation for this title is bully and I consciousness for illustration I'm successful amended style than I was successful Berlin."

Meanwhile, it is ne'er dull erstwhile Hassan is involved.

The 32-year-old Dutch prima won connected her debut successful London 2 years agone contempt stopping astatine nan roadside mid-race to agelong retired a hep wounded while her rivals ran distant from her - and still ran 2:18:33.

Hassan achieved Olympic golden past summertime successful likewise melodramatic fashion, appearing to slice from contention earlier battling past Assefa successful a spectacular sprint decorativeness to adhd to her bronze medals successful nan 5,000m and 10,000m connected nan track.

Her individual champion of 2:13:44 - group astatine nan 2023 Chicago Marathon - puts her 3rd connected nan all-time database of fastest female marathoners and she said astir wanting to break nan 2:10 obstruction earlier this year, thing only Chepngetich has achieved.

Speaking connected Friday, she added: "In nan marathon, whether you for illustration it aliases not you will push.

"Running nan marathon teaches you to push.

"I will do my best. I americium getting tense - that is good. When I get tense I do well."

In Emile Cairess' injury-enforced absence, Mahamed Mahamed and Philip Sesemann - respectively nan 3rd and fifth-fastest British marathon runners of all-time - will dream to shine.

The 27-year-old Mahamed, 4th down Cairess past year, told BBC Sport: "As an jock you ever want to push to nan adjacent level. If a badge comes, it comes. On nan time thing tin happen."

There will beryllium plentifulness of attraction connected Olympic and world triathlon champion Alex Yee arsenic he makes his debut, while Jonny Mellor, Dewi Griffiths and Weynay Ghebresilasie person each tally nether 2:10.

Eilish McColgan makes her marathon debut aft wounded forced her to retreat successful 2023.

The Scot, 34, has mother Liz's individual champion of 2:26:52 arsenic a target, while Steph Twell's Scottish grounds is simply a fraction quicker astatine 2:26:40.

"I would emotion to break my mum's PB; nan Scottish grounds is simply a touch quicker - they would beryllium loose goals," McColgan told BBC Sport.

"I would emotion to beryllium nan apical Brit location and beryllium comparatively competitory successful what is 1 of nan strongest women's fields successful nan history of marathon running."

She is joined connected nan elite commencement statement by Charlotte Purdue, Rose Harvey and Phily Bowden, who person each antecedently tally nether 2:26.

Eight-time champion David Weir is 1 of six Britons successful nan elite wheelchair men's field, while Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who vanished 4th successful Monday's Boston Marathon, is joined by aggregate Paralympic medallist and London debutant Sammi Kinghorn and Jade Jones-Hall successful nan women's wheelchair race.